When I woke up on the train yesterday, we weren’t moving. I found out later that we were delayed because there had been a power problem at one of the crossings and that we were behind another train that needed to go through.

It was completely dark because I wake up really early even on vacation, so I decided to read. I also spent some time writing in my journal. We aren’t supposed to take showers before 6 am, so I had plenty of time.

My plan was to shower and make it to breakfast at 6:30. This is like a dream for me. I’m hungry at 6:30 since I generally get up at 3. Normally, the earliest I can get hot breakfast is at 7 unless I’m near a diner, so the idea of getting hot breakfast at 6:30 in heaven. Now that I know the routine, I will also exercise before shower time when I’m back on the train. I have space in my room and time.

What I didn’t say in yesterday’s post was that you get a shower kit when you are on the train. In the bathroom, there are already washcloths and handtowels for each person. In addition to these, there is a shower kit per person.

These include two full sized towels, soap, and shampoo.

At 6 am, I took my shower kit, adding some toiletries and my scrubby and headed down the corridor to the shower.

It was actually much bigger than I expected with a room outside of the shower with space for you to put items and to dry off and change. I was happy because I had plenty of time to slather on lotion before getting dressed. I had assumed I would have to get dressed and then undress to put on lotion back in my room. The shower was pretty much the size of a standard walk-in shower.

It was fun, trying to balance and wash at the same time with the movement of the train. Actually, I found that most of the time, the motion of the train wasn’t a problem. Usually, I didn’t really notice much unless the train was on a curve.

The other thing is that you get earplugs in your room. I was wondering about this because I live next to train track, and the trains are LOUD. I’m used to it by now, and I can sleep through most things anyway. But I can imagine that the noise would really bother some people. However, I barely heard the train, including the times it blew the whistle when we were going through crossings. I’m now assuming the earplugs are in case your cabin neighbors are loud because the train isn’t loud at all.

Of course, when I finished showering and putting everything away, it was time for breakfast! Hurray.

I don’t know if it is because I had already been to the dining car once, but this time it didn’t seem as far away as it was before. It’s located in the middle of a car with berths and the car with the prestige class rooms. I have to walk through the berth spaces which I think also houses some of the single cabins and the game lounge to get to it. What I also noticed, and you can see this in the first picture above, is that the game lounge car has access to a dome car. That is where those stairs go.

This was great to know because that means that I do not have to go all the way to end of train to get a dome car view like I thought the night before.

When I woke up, I had a taste for pancakes. However, I’m not fond of banana pancakes, and the chef’s omelette was bacon, scallions, and cheese. Since I’m a sucker for bacon . . . I also ordered wheat toast and tried some of the marmalade that my seat companion and I were curious about because it had no peel.

Another not awkward meal. During breakfast, I only sat with one person. Only one other table was occupied probably because it was 6:30. This woman was really interesting to talk to as well. She has been in law enforcement for over 40 years. We had a great conversation about how difficult it is to train people to talk to people which we both have had to do in our jobs. She has had only four times in her entire career where she had to use force whereas she says she is dismayed to see how many younger officers are using force dozens of times a year. We talked about traveling and race and how it’s sometimes better to not say you’re an American when you are abroad and how sad that is.

See, Rita. I am making friends on the train as much as I didn’t want to!

The hostess came by while we ate breakfast to ask which seating we wanted for lunch, assuming since we were eating so early that we would also want the first seating. I told her that I was getting off in Jasper, so I didn’t have a seating arranged. However, we were late because of the delay, so it didn’t look like were were going to make it to Jasper until after lunch.

PERFECT. Lunch on the train. No lunch budget needed. You don’t know how happy I was about that.

After breakfast, I decided to go up to the dome car even though it wasn’t that light out.

It was nice there anyway, so I stayed for awhile. It was definitely a contrast once the sun came up despite the fact that it was overcast, it was still pretty.

After awhile though I had to go the bathroom. We were stopped again anyway and sat there for a bit since we had to let a freight car pass; they have priority claim to rail lines over passenger trains. So I went back to my room. I couldn’t see anything becaue we were next to another train, so I read the book Kiana gave me for Christmas for my kindle app. I love how both my daughters gave me handy travel gifts.

I had every intention of going back to the dome car, but I got really cozy in my room. So the rest of my pictures from the trip are from my room. Not sorry really because it was all beautiful. It got snowier and snowier as we went north.

I was so captured by the scenery that I nearly forgot about lunch. It came faster than I expected because the train changed to mountain time before my watch did. Thank goodness for the “food crier” that came along the corridors telling people about the first lunch sitting. I’m pretty sure it was Marty. 😀

As you can see, there is a LOT of food on the train. I can’t imagine that you could eat three full meals and still need snacks. I’m going to be exercising even more in my room on the train ride to Toronto to work off the food because I don’t want to pass up tasting an option from each meal.

I was definitely not going back up to the dome car. I just waddled my way back to my room, hoping I wouldn’t fall asleep. I did not want to miss any scenery. I’m glad I did because it was all so beautiful.

One of the highlights was Pyramid Falls. In the summer, this is a beautiful waterfal, but I’m happy I came in the winter to see it frozen over. The blue tinge is from the minerals in the water.

The other highlight was the view of Mount Robson Provincial Park from the train. Mount Robson is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, but because it was so overcast we could only see the base from the train. However, I got some really good pictures of the park.

It was really like riding through a postcard the entire way to Jasper. Coming into Jasper made me feel a bit sad to get off the train, but it was so pretty that no one could be sad for long.

Also, I knew I’d be coming back to Jasper to take the train to Toronto. Not everyone is. I sat with one of the couples from the Vancouver tour at lunch. They are going to the ice canyon walk I am going on today, and they are going to Banff and Lake Louise as well. However, when I get on the bus to come back to Banff, they are going to be driven to Calgary to do some sightseeing and to fly back home from there. No more train for them. The wife seemed a bit sad by that.

I had packed up everything about an hour before to make sure I didn’t leave anything on the train. We got off the train at the station, and there was someone waiting for us to take us to our hotels. The people who were going onward on the train were also allowed to get off to take pictures, but because the train was late, they were only going to be able to be in Jasper for about an hour.

I am the only person who got dropped off at the Crimson. I think it is the cheapest of the hotels on the tour choice with fresh Tracks Canada. You get to choose from three options, and I always chose the cheapest which is the “comfort” level I believe. I haven’t been disappointed yet, and it allowed me to splurge on something later. You will see (hint: it looks like a castle).

I’m very happy with my room.

Besides, who could be disappointed when the view from your deck (yes, I said deck) is this?

After I got settled in my room, I really thought about walking around Jasper. It was only about 3:15. But the bed was so inviting, and I wasn’t motivated by the need to get food even though I looked up places to eat. I was still full from all the food I’d eaten!

Still, since I have both a fridge and a microwave in my room, I thought about picking up some items for breakfast and dinner for today. I looked for bakeries and sandwich shops but some were already closed and some were too far for me to feel like going to.

However, guess what? Turns out the Crimson is right next door to a market! Hurray!

I got my shopping bag out, put on my coat, and headed out. Got to see some mountains and right there on the corner was Nesters Market.

I know where I will be stopping on the way back to my room today after the Canyon walk tomorrow!